1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to watch cases, in particular to a wrist mounted watch with a watch case having separable components of a main body and a surrounding protective frame.
2. Background Information
Horology is the science of time, timekeepers such as clocks and watches and of timekeeping. The present development is directed the sub-set of horology directed at watches. Fine watch making is a science and an art. Watches, as opposed to clocks, have been said to have originated in Western Europe around the end of the fifteenth century with the development of pocket watches. What made pocket watches different from clocks was the mechanism used to drive the watch, collectively referred to as the watch mechanism or more commonly the watch movement. The watch movement of the pocket watch used a balance wheel, hairspring and a mainspring. The clocks of the time relied on a combination of counter weights and a swinging pendulum. From the pocket watch, the wrist watch was developed.
Both pocket watches and wrist watches have a watch case that houses the watch movement, the stem or crown, the watch face or dial, the hands, and the watch mounting structure. The watch case also supports the crystal and the bezel, but these components may better be classified as part of the watch case itself. It has been suggested that if one were to compare the watch to the human body, the movement would be the brain, the dial would be the face, and the watch case would be the body.
A watch case is the immediate expression of the movement it contains and protects. It has been noted that the watch case is the part of the watch that the user touches, the part the user feels against his skin. Therefore, it is proposed that the watch case must have a harmonious shape, even that the watch case suggest a certain sensuality, and that the watch case convey its presence and mirror the curves of its wearer's wrist.
The mounting structure of a watch case generally differs depending upon whether a pocket watch or wrist watch is intended. For a pocket watch the mounting structure is generally an eyelet or ring of some type for receipt of a watch chain. For a wristwatch configuration the mounting structure is typically formed by a pair of lugs on each end to which a bar (also referred to as a pintle) is attached. The bar may be press fit, screwed in, a spring biased structure, or any attachment mechanism and it is adapted to receive straps that extend around the user's wrist. It is possible that the bar may be integral with the lugs which can change the structure of the associated straps.
The bezel is generally defined as the ring that surrounds the watch face or dial. The bezel generally protects the crystal, and in some cases may hold it in place. The bezel is often rotating relative to the watch face to provide other functionality such as for easy time measurement functions. The bezel can also be considered as part of the watch case as it has a protecting function associated with the watch case.
The crystal of a watch is the transparent cover used to protect the watch face and hands. The crystal can be made of a number of transparent materials including plastic, glass, crystallized aluminum oxide, etc. Scratch resistant coatings and mar resistant coatings may also be used. As with the bezel, the crystal can be broadly categorized as a part of the watch case due to the protective functionality.
The dial, or face, of the watch is the background against which the hands of the watch move. The hands of the watch are coupled to and moved by the movement mechanism. Dial and hand making is an art and a craft in its own right that demands considerable expertise. Visually, the dial must satisfy a dual requirement: it must be pleasing to the eye and legible at a glance. A host of information must be harmoniously conveyed via the relative position of the hands on a dial surface. This on a surface that often barely exceeds a few square centimeters. Often a dial is separated into several sections and, beyond its refinement and beauty the dial must highlight and distinguish these different zones. Thus fine watch dial-maker must master these artisanal techniques.
The stem or crown is the manually actuated mechanism for adjusting the hands of the watch and can be used for winding a movement. The crown typically extends through the watch case so as to be accessible by the user.
Innovation in the watch making art related to the watch case is evident in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records. For example there are about three hundred (300) distinct U.S. Patents directed specifically towards the “subject matter relating to timepieces . . . wherein the timepiece incorporates a special enclosure or upholding means for the timepiece contents within the enclosure.” {Class 368 subclass 88 of the United States classification system which is noted as 368/88.} Similarly, there have been about ninety (90) patents wherein the subject matter includes specific means for inclosing or containing the works of a timepiece and further including means to increase the modes of utility of a timepiece (368/277). Separately, there have been well over three hundred (331 at the time of filing the parent provisional application) patents to date wherein the subject matter includes specific means for enclosing or containing the works of a timepiece and further including means for carrying the case on the wrist of the user (368/281). These classifications are certainly not exhaustive of the innovations in this area, but this is representative of the number of innovations over the years relating to certain aspects of watch case construction.
A representative sample of these patents is presented below, with the grouping of patents generally representing the timing of the patent issuance.
U.S. Published Patent application 2009-0010111 discloses a sealed wrist watch case comprising a protective casing surrounded by a middle member and a bezel, characterized in that the protective casing forms a pressure resistant structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,728 discloses a wrist watch case with a main body and a separate gemstone ring. U.S. Pat. No. 7,333,399 discloses a wrist watch case with a hidden compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,247 discloses a wrist watch case with an easily replaceable bezel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,098 discloses a pair of interconnected watch cases. U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,632 discloses a wrist watch case with removable face. U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,976 discloses a shockproof wrist watch case construction. U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,602 discloses a reversible wrist watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,981 discloses a convertible wrist watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,861 discloses wrist watch case with “easily replaceable” straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,863 discloses a modular timepiece wherein the movement is easily interchangeable with other cases. U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,209 discloses a wrist watch case with selective standardized connection to easily allow for easy construction of distinct watch models. U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,367 discloses, in part, a clam-shell type pocket watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,261 discloses a watch case formed of a base and surrounding frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,118 discloses a watch case with an “easily” replaceable face. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,376 discloses a wrist watch case with interchangeable strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,548 discloses a wrist or pocket watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,738 discloses a watch case and a surrounding “watch frame” which are suitable for mating and un-mating one with the other by the use of a sealing means suitable for slidably translating the case within the frame and providing a substantially contiguous fit of the case within the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,907 discloses a watch case formed of a plurality of separate stacked plates. U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,256 discloses a toy watch case.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,953 discloses a protective case adapted to receive a wrist watch having a case with a pair of drilled ears or lugs in which is maintained a retaining pin assembly whereby wrist straps or bands are customarily connected to the watch. This protective case is open at the top to slidably receive a watch from which the strap is removed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,646 discloses a hook and loop type watch case attachment system. U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,345 discloses a convertible wrist or pocket watch case.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,780,050 discloses a convertible watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 2,182,194 discloses a watch case with particular watch mounting structure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,657 discloses a watch case adaptor for converting a wrist watch to a pocket or pendent watch.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,991,284 discloses an interchangeable wristwatch and pocket watch combination. U.S. Pat. No. 1,952,307 discloses a watch case clip. U.S. Pat. No. 1,516,599 discloses a convertible watch case for use as a wrist watch and a pocket watch. U.S. Pat. No. 1,454,322 discloses a convertible watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 1,382,256 discloses a convertible wrist or pocket watch case. U.S. Pat. No. 1,359,083 discloses a convertible wrist or pocket watch case.
U.S. Pat. No. 301,928 discloses a 19th century watch case development.
All of the above identified patents and published applications are incorporated herein by reference and collectively are representative of the time and effort placed into improving watch case design. All of the above cited patents fail to effectively or efficiently fill the need in the high end watch market to allow for users to better address protection of the watch and improve display options for the watch.
The artistry and craftsmanship associated with fine watch making has made fine watches highly collectable to watch collectors, also called chronophiles (consider for example www.chronophile.com). The cost of a “high end” watch will typically begin around several thousand dollars and go up from there. Ultra-luxury level fine watches will list at over $100,000. In December, 1999, Sotheby's sold a watch with 24 complications for $11 million. Complications are mechanical functions of the watch other than the hours, minutes, and seconds.
Unlike inexpensive watches in which watch wear and tear and damage leads to watch disposal, there is a significant interest and, therefore, market in the repair of fine high end watches. Further, it is desirable if the user of a high end watch can easily modify the look and feel of a high end watch to better, or more often, display the purchase. Currently user's can swap out distinct straps to provide a different look to a particular watch. There remains a need in the high end watch market to allow for users to better address protection of the watch and improve display options for the watch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a watch case, particularly a wrist watch case that alleviates at least some of the above stated problems.